Nail guns have become increasingly popular in recent years. More and more frequently professional carpenters have turned to power nail guns to facilitate framing and trim installations. A nail gun can be driven by pneumatic or electric means or can be powder-actuated, for example. Such a nail gun can speed nailing and requires less skill to operate than a hammer.
However, a nail gun has certain drawbacks. For example, the cost of a nail gun can be many times more than the cost of a standard hammer. In the case of a pneumatic nail gun, a compressor is required, which also increases cost.
In a typical application, such as detailing a door frame with trim, the carpenter may desire to use nails of different lengths. In such a situation, when the carpenter is using a nail gun, the carpenter has been forced to either have two nail guns or change the nails housed in the supply magazine whenever he wished to change his nail size. Such an arrangement can increase costs and be cumbersome, however, particularly so when the carpenter is on a ladder.